11th Mana Pounamu Young Achievers' Awards

He tāonga, he koha, he kura pounamu

The Mana Pounamu Young Achievers’ Awards celebrates its 11th anniversary today with a ceremony tonight to recognise the achievements and potential of rakatahi Māori (Māori youth) in secondary schools across Otago.

Two new Awards will also be launched at the ceremony tonight.

The University’s Acting Director Maori Development Janine Kapa says the objectives of these Awards are to celebrate the success and achievement of rakatahi Māori (Māori youth) and encourage rakatahi Māori to participate in tertiary study.

“We also want to identify leadership potential and provide positive role models to rakatahi Māori,” she says.

The Mana Pounamu Young Achievers’ Awards were realised through the vision of the late Tāua, Alva Kapa, and were named as such because they were first held in the Year of Mana Pounamu (2001).

The Awards are a Kāi Tahu initiative supported by Kā Papatipu Rūnaka ki Arāiteuru, the University of Otago, the Otago Polytechnic, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and the Ministry of Education.

This year there are a total of 38 award winners, consisting of both tuakana (senior) and teina (junior) recipients. A number of scholarships and awards are also being awarded at the Mana Pounamu Young Achievers’ Awards ceremony: the Otago Polytechnic (full fees payment for a chosen course of study in 2012) and AgResearch (for the University of Otago Hands-on-Science week in 2012).

Two new awards have also this year been established; an Otago Daily Times Award for Excellence in English and a University of Otago Award for Commitment to Te Reo Māori.

“We would like once again to express our appreciation for the commitment and support of our existing benefactors and our new sponsors the Otago Daily Times,” she says.

Details of the 2011 ceremony

Date Friday, 28 October 2011
Time 5.30pm start (Mihi Whakatau)
Venue University of Otago College of Education Auditorium, Union Street East